Wondering about work-for-hire?

2/9/2015

I'm currently writing my sixth work-for-hire book. Want to find out how to apply for work-for-hire book assignments? Pop over to my guest post on Mandy Wallace's blog and learn how you can break into publishing through children's work-for-hire.

7 Comments

Lindsey Whitney link

9/6/2016 05:39:17 pm

Hello -- I just read your guest post and found it very helpful. I was wondering if you could share guidelines for fees in a work for hire situation?

Rebecca Langston-George

9/14/2016 05:51:45 pm

Lindsey, Payment varies widely according to length and publishing house. Most payments are flat-fee (no royalties), but occasionally an author might receive an advance against royalties in a work-for-hire situation. For a short text aimed at early readers the range would be a couple of hundred dollars. A picture book would run $1000-$1500. Chapter books to middle grade might run $1500 to $4000 depending on the word length. These numbers are just guidelines, as publishing houses vary.

Trudi Y Gardner

4/1/2017 01:36:05 am

Hi Rebecca, I loved your Malala book! How long did it take you to write the manuscript (not counting edits)? Was this an assignment through a work-for-hire publisher? Had you been published in children's writing before you were assigned a work-for-hire project? I was wondering how you interested the publisher to take a chance on you, if by your teaching career and/or previous children's writing. Thank you!

Rebecca Langston-George

4/1/2017 08:18:37 am

Hi Trudi,
Thank you for your interest in For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story. Yes, it was a work-for-hire project with a twist. I had already authored three books for the publisher when I was asked to "audition" for this book. I researched and submitted a sample, along with other writers, and I was chosen for the assignment. I had already planned to write about Malala, so it was a good fit. Deadlines are very tight with this type of writing. You often have only a month to research/outline and a month to write, with rounds of edits following that. This book was already in production the day Malala won the Nobel Prize, so both the illustrator and I had to make last minute changes to the first page. Are you interested in writing work-for-hire, Trudi?

Trudi York Gardner

4/3/2017 10:29:28 pm

Yes, Rebecca. I love the kind of nonfiction picture books like Malala (yours) and others that are so compelling. I'm certain adults enjoy them as much as children. They can be gripping, and you're left thinking about the character and story long after.
I'm just not certain that short of my showing recent published writing for children, such as in a children's magazine, a work-for-hire publisher would be interested....??

Eloise Freeman

7/18/2019 09:38:52 pm

Fantastic news, Rebecca!!!!!
So happy for you.
Eloise

Denise Dickinson link

4/2/2021 03:05:31 am

Thanks for sharing this

Wondering about work-for-hire?

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